


Exiled

by darkling59



Series: Annals of the Incomplete [25]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-17 23:18:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3547460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkling59/pseuds/darkling59
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Archer and Trip require the assistance of an exiled T'Pol to repair the damaged Enterprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Exiled

“Captain Archer.” For the first time since the uncomfortable meal started, T'Pol put down her utensil. “I was exiled several years ago. My childhood was erased. I have no past.”

The humans exchanged startled, horrified looks as she calmly returned to her meal.

“You were…are…exiled?” Archer mentally cursed himself for the obvious hesitation. When she responded with a single quirked eyebrow, he felt his ire rise slightly. How did she manage to look so superior even when talking about something so horrible?

“What did ya do?” Commander Tucker stared at her with a very obvious expression trapped somewhere between horror and confusion. For someone brought up on the idea that family was the most important thing in the universe, the idea of being cast away from everything you’d ever known was terrifying. And yet she seemed to take it in stride.

_I guess Vulcans really are emotionless._

“That is personal, Commander.”

His expression darkened to annoyance at her superior tone.

“I was jus’ bein’ polite!”

“I suppose that would depend on your definition of polite.”

“Look, if you don’t want t’tell me that’s fine! You don’t need ta get all high an’ mighty about it though!”

T’pol gazed at him expressionlessly, suppressing her confusion at his rage. Humans were certainly a volatile species.

“I simply stated a fact.”

His face was all out fire engine red by now and he seemed to be having trouble staying in his seat. Oddly enough his mouth was opening and closing in an expression similar to gasping.

Mildly alarmed, she replaced her utensil once again and turned toward the captain who looked unhappy but far calmer than the commander.

“Does he require medical assistance?”

The humans exchanged a startled glance, their other emotions fading at the unexpectedness of her statement.

“Excuse me?” Uncertain as to her thought process, Archer decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, there was no evidence to suggest she had meant it to be malicious in any way and she had cut off the argument before he was forced to rebuke the commander. He just hoped he wasn’t setting up an insult for Trip.

“I have not seen such an expression on a human before however some species appear similar when experiencing cardiac arrest.”

“You think he might be…having a heart attack.”

“Does he require assistance?”

“I’m fine, Cap’n.” Trip wasn’t sure which one of them he was addressing but didn’t really care. His anger had derailed itself when she expressed concern. Had she really not meant anything with her attitude?

“Very well.” She returned to her meal easily, ignoring their baffled looks in favor of the plomeek soup. Or, as Trip would call it, tasteless sludge.

“Could you…excuse us for a moment, captain?” Archer forced his tone to be as expressionless as possible but knew he still sounded confused. It rankled that the Vulcan could do better but he was far too chary of the situation to indulge in personal prejudices.

“Do you wish to return to your ship?”

“No, that’s alright. We’ll just talk in the hallway.”

“If you wish.” Her face remained expressionless but she was practically oozing disapproval. Or was she? This was just too confusing.

“Trip?” Archer gestured with his head towards the door and both of them abandoned their soup. Once in the hallway, Trip attempted to close the door but found he needed a password. One he was certain they weren’t going to get. With a scowl, he turned away.

“Let’s just talk real quiet cap’n. The door’s locked open.”

“Alright.” His voice was barely a whisper, almost drowned out by the slight sound of the air filtration system. “What do you make of her?”

“She’s arrogant sir. At least…she seems to be.”

“Isn’t arrogance an emotion?”

“I don’t think so…? How can someone so emotionless be so damned…I dunno…”

“Aggravating?”

“I guess so. I mean, one minute she’s insulting me and the next…”

“…thinking you’re having a heart attack.”

“Yeah. An’ then there’s the whole ‘exile’ thing. What does that mean?”

“Whatever it is, it sounds serious. I didn’t really notice before but don’t you find it a little bit odd that she’s out here in a small ship on her own? I thought vulcans usually went for shows of force.”

“I don’t know enough vulcans t’know that. Hell, the only ones I’ve really seen up close were that one that screwed up Klaang’s return and Soval.”

“I have-“

“Soval?” They both turned to find the Vulcan watching them intently, her empty dish gone from the table. Her momentary flash of regret for the interruption went unnoticed. “You know of Ambassador Soval?”

“Were you eavesdroppin’”

“That was not my intention. However, you chose to speak well within my auditory range.”

“Oh, that’s right. Those big ears hafta be used for somethin’, don’t they?”

She cocked her head, leveling an unamused look that made him feel like he’d failed some sort of test, then turned towards the captain.

“I did not know earth was allied with Vulcan.”

“Well, yes.” he hid his surprise rather well this time. Maybe he was just getting used to it. “They made first contact and have been our allies ever since.”

“I was aware of the contact. However, I was under the impression that humans were too violent and primitive to maintain a relationship with.”

Archer, who had been prepared to reprimand Trip for his indelicate insults, did a mental about face and found his confusion turning to anger. But before he could respond, someone else made the choice for him.

“Not quite as primitive as your kind seem to think, darlin’.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“Look, we didn’t ask for your help…”

“I was under the impression that was the point of your transmission.”

The engineer all but growled at her. “Well maybe we wouldn’t have if we’d known who’d show up!”

“That is illogical.”

“Who ever said humans were logical!”

“Indeed. Your race appears most illogical.”

“Captain T’pol.” Forcing his indignation away to be dealt with later, Archer intervened. No reason to make this a diplomatic incident. “Perhaps we’d better return to the Enterprise.”

“Certainly.”

At the door to the shuttlepod, Archer paused and took one last glance at the single Vulcan watching them leave. In a last, desperate, bid, he threw caution to the winds.

“Captain, I feel I must apologize for out behavior.”

Trip, already inside, huffed angrily but did not interrupt and T’pol raised an eyebrow in query.

“However, I also feel that we have done nothing wrong.”

The other eyebrow rose to join the first at the ‘illogical’ nature of the statement.

“We would appreciate your help but, as humans, we don’t know much about vulcans or Vulcan manners. Therefore, I will apologize if we offended you but not for our behavior.”

He took a deep breath, knowing the next statement would be even harder to force out. But it was necessary.

“I hope you will consider remaining to assist in the repairs.”

She was their only chance.

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another AU T'Pol fic. (How many of these things are lurking on my harddrive?)


End file.
